SAFE CARE, SAFE SPACES™
A Signature Training of The Safe Spaces™ Professional Education Series
Equipping Healthcare Professionals to Recognize Abuse, Respond with Compassion, and Connect Patients to Safety
Healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to identify domestic violence, provide compassionate support, and connect patients with life-saving resources. Whether in an emergency department, primary care office, urgent care clinic, behavioral health setting, or specialty practice, healthcare professionals often encounter survivors who may never disclose abuse anywhere else.
Safe Care, Safe Spaces™ is a specialized, trauma-informed training developed by The Hiding Place to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools needed to recognize domestic violence, respond safely to disclosures, document concerns appropriately, and strengthen collaboration with community partners.
Our goal is to improve patient outcomes, reduce barriers to support, and ensure every survivor who seeks medical care is met with dignity, compassion, and hope.
Why This Training Matters
Domestic violence is a significant public health issue that affects individuals of every age, race, socioeconomic background, gender, and community. Survivors often seek medical care for injuries, chronic health conditions, mental health concerns, reproductive health issues, or symptoms related to trauma without ever disclosing the abuse they are experiencing.
Healthcare professionals have the opportunity to identify warning signs, ask meaningful questions, and create a safe environment where survivors feel comfortable seeking help.
A compassionate response can increase trust, improve patient safety, and become the first step toward long-term healing.
Safe Care, Safe Spaces™ combines evidence-informed best practices, trauma-informed care principles, survivor perspectives, and practical clinical strategies to help healthcare professionals confidently respond to domestic violence.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological, and long-term health impacts of abuse while learning how to safely screen patients, respond to disclosures, document findings, and connect individuals with community resources.
Training is interactive and can be customized for hospitals, clinics, specialty practices, behavioral health providers, and healthcare systems.
About the Training
Who Should Attend?
This training is designed for:
Physicians
Nurses
Nurse Practitioners
Physician Assistants
Emergency Department Staff
Primary Care Providers
OB/GYN Providers
Pediatric Providers
Behavioral Health Professionals
Social Workers
Case Managers
Medical Assistants
Dental Professionals
Hospital Administrators
Healthcare Students
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn how to:
Recognize common indicators of domestic violence in healthcare settings.
Understand the long-term physical and emotional impact of trauma.
Respond to disclosures with compassion and confidence.
Conduct trauma-informed conversations that prioritize patient safety.
Improve documentation that supports continuity of care and legal proceedings.
Recognize high-risk indicators requiring immediate intervention.
Strengthen referral practices through collaboration with community partners.
Increase confidence when supporting patients experiencing abuse.
Promote healing through survivor-centered care.
-
Recognizing abuse beyond physical injuries, including emotional, psychological, sexual, financial, and coercive control.
-
Understanding how trauma affects physical health, communication, trust, and patient engagement.
-
Identifying physical injuries, behavioral indicators, emotional responses, and chronic health concerns that may signal abuse.
-
Learning how to respond with empathy, validate survivors, assess immediate safety, and provide appropriate support.
-
Recognizing the medical significance of non-fatal strangulation, delayed symptoms, and appropriate referral considerations.
-
Supporting patients in identifying practical strategies to increase safety while respecting their autonomy and readiness.
-
Connecting patients with advocacy services, counseling, housing resources, legal assistance, and ongoing support through coordinated partnerships.
-
Recognizing the emotional impact of caring for survivors and strategies to reduce compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress.
Training Topics
Safe Care, Safe Spaces™ can be customized to meet the needs of your organization.
Available formats include:
Grand Rounds
Lunch & Learn Sessions
One-Hour Educational Presentations
Two-Hour Workshops
Half-Day Professional Development
Full-Day Conferences
Hospital Staff Training
Healthcare System Education
Virtual or In-Person Presentations
Training Formats
Following this training, participants will leave with:
Greater confidence recognizing domestic violence in healthcare settings.
Practical communication strategies for responding to disclosures.
Increased understanding of trauma-informed patient care.
Improved documentation practices.
Knowledge of community resources and referral pathways.
Stronger collaboration with advocacy organizations.
Tools that can immediately improve patient care and safety.
What Participants Will Gain
Why The Hiding Place?
The Hiding Place partners with healthcare providers to strengthen the community response to domestic violence through education, collaboration, and survivor-centered care.
Our team brings lived experience, professional expertise, trauma-informed practices, and strong community partnerships together to provide practical training that reflects the realities healthcare professionals face every day.
We believe healthcare providers are essential partners in creating safer communities and helping survivors begin their healing journey.
The Safe Spaces™ Difference
Safe Care, Safe Spaces™ goes beyond awareness.
It equips healthcare professionals with practical tools, trauma-informed strategies, and collaborative referral pathways that improve patient care while helping create healthcare environments where survivors feel safe, respected, and supported.
Because every healthcare encounter has the potential to become a turning point in someone's life.
Request This Training
Interested in bringing Safe Care, Safe Spaces™ to your hospital, clinic, healthcare system, or professional conference?
We would be honored to partner with your organization to strengthen the healthcare response to domestic violence and improve outcomes for survivors.